It is known to provide aerodynamic air deflectors or “air dams” for motor vehicles, to assist in managing airflow passing beneath the vehicle. By use of such air deflectors, aerodynamic drag/drag coefficient can be reduced and concurrently motor vehicle fuel efficiency can be improved. Likewise, air deflectors assist in limiting motor vehicle lift. For example, vehicle front air dams limit motor vehicle front end lift by creating a down-force, forcing the vehicle nose down and so improving vehicle handling and stability. Still more, properly designed front air dams may assist in engine cooling and therefore efficiency.
Of necessity, air deflectors extending below the motor vehicle chassis reduce ground clearance. This may be of little import when the vehicle is traveling on a smooth road. However, when the vehicle is travelling on a rough road, excessive reduction in ground clearance may result in vehicle damage and potentially a loss of stability and handling. For example, even if the vehicle does not actually strike an obstacle in the road, sudden braking or steering may cause the vehicle nose to dip or roll, in turn causing a portion of a front air dam to strike the road surface and cause damage and potential impairment of vehicle stability and handling. On the other hand, at lower speeds or under less rigorous operating conditions the air deflector may not be needed to improve fuel efficiency, vehicle handling, and/or engine cooling, and retraction of the air deflector may be desirable.
For this reason, it is known in the art to provide translatable air dams which may be raised to increase front approach angle and ground clearance. Such translatable air dams, while effective for their intended purpose, require at least a translatable portion, frames or other devices for holding the translatable portion, and actuators such as motors, hydraulic or pneumatic actuators, etc. for translating the vertical portion, and other components. In turn, control mechanisms and software for controlling translation of translatable air dams can be quite complex. These features can significantly add to complexity and weight of a vehicle, and to repair/replacement costs if damaged. Further, such translatable air dams are often limited in their range of motion, i.e. in the number of deployed positions available relative to the vehicle.
To solve this and other problems, the present disclosure relates to a compact and efficient translatable air dam system. The described system is advantageously lightweight and simple in design.